House on Ellicott's Hill

The House on Ellicott's Hill, also known as Connelly's Tavern, is one of the oldest structures in Natchez — a Federal-style house built in the 1790s at the head of Canal Street, near the top of the bluff. It served as a tavern and gathering place during the complex period when Natchez changed hands between Spain, Britain, and the new United States, and the house has witnessed more political transitions than most.

Now a historic house museum operated by a preservation organization, it is open for tours and offers a counterpoint to the later Greek Revival mansions that dominate the historic district. The Federal period architecture is simpler and in some ways more interesting than the showier antebellum houses. The views down Canal Street toward the river are some of the best in town.

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This house at the top of Canal Street is where American surveyor Andrew Ellicott raised the American flag in 1797 to assert US sovereignty over Natchez — a gesture that provoked a standoff with the Spanish garrison still occupying Fort Panmure below. Spain had held Natchez since 1779, and was reluctant to leave until American pressure made staying untenable.

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